Automatic package binding machine

ABSTRACT

A machine for automatically binding or tying a package delivered onto a table wherein the advancing speed as well as the slackening speed of the string, strap or the like with which to bind or tie the package are suitably controlled. After one package has been bound, the cut end of the string is grasped by grasping structure so as to ready the string for the next binding operation.

United States Patent 1191 Tanaka June 28, 1974 [54] AUTOMATIC PACKAGE BINDING 2,614,487 10/1952 Cheesman 100/29 x MACHINE 2,782,709 2/l957 French et al...

2,873,664 2/l959 Bunn 100/27 Inventor: Masashl Tanaka, g -ma 3,324,789 6/l967 Buettner 100/30 x Japan [73] Assignee: FujiJidoki Kabushiki Kaisha, Primary ExaminerBilly J. Wilhite Ogasa-Machi, Japan Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Connolly and Hutz [22] Filed: Oct. 10, 1972 [21 Appl. NCLZ 296,051 [57] ABSTRACT A machine for automatically binding or tying a pack- [52] Us Cl 100/4 100/27 100/30 age delivered onto a table wherein the advancing [51] B65b 13/22 speed as well as the slackening speed of the string, strap or the like with which to bind or tie the p g [58] Field of Search 100/4, 8,27, 30, 33 are Suitably controlled. After one p g has been I 56] References Cited bound, the cut end of the string is grasped by grasping t d h UNITED STATES PATENTS itgggtiigilso as o rea y t e strmg for the next binding 1,994,453 3/1935 Bunn l00/27 2,371,024 3/l945 Bunn 100/27 5 Clainm,,28 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUNZS I974 sum 01 0f-1,1

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AUTOMATIC PACKAGE BINDING MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an automatic package binding machine, and more particularly to an automatic package binding machine which enables packages to be automatically bound and secured one after the other with a flexible fibrous strap or like binding material.

Heretofore, iron bands have been exclusively used for automatic binding of packages, and no successful proposals have been made for the use of round or flat strings made of flexible fibrous material, such straw ropes, paper straps, cotton strings, paper bands and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention realizes use of a wide variety of fibrous or fiber-made straps, strings, bands or the like in an automatic binding machine.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an automatic package binding machine whereby various types of objects including soft or resilient materials such as textile fabrics or printed matter are properly bound and wherein a wide variety of binding strings, such as aforementioned, may be selectively used according to the type of object to the bound.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for automatically binding packages in which a binding string is passed around a package resting on a support block having an open space in its center by means of a swinging arm carrying the string through the space afterwhich the string is fastened to securely bind the package. Sealing means is provided below the support block.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Novel features and advantages of the present invention in addition to those mentioned above will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view showing an automatic binding machine in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3V-3Z illustrate the operating process of the holding and transporting mechanism, according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing the details of the mechanism illustrated in FIGS. 3V-3Z;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the tension controlling mechanism, according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a train of sealing devices;

FIG. 7A and 7B are perspective views showing the joined portions .of two embodiments of the binding means, according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic illustration showing the arrangement of the principal parts of the machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic illustration showing the arrangement of the principal parts of the mechanism shown in FIG. 2;

tively, of a fixed gripper, according to the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic illustration showing a mode of operation of the string binder;

FIGS. 14A and 14B are diagrammatic illustrations showing an operating pattern of the seal fastener;

FIG. 15 is a diagrammatic illustration showing a manner of operation of the string binder;

FIG. 16 is a front elevational view of the string binder of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a diagrammatic illustration showing the string cutting operation; and

FIG. 18 is a front elevational view of the string cutter shown in FIG. 17.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring in more particularity to the drawing, the present invention comprises a machine frame mounted on a package carrier or support block on which a package is placed substantially centrally and which has its center a space 0. The following unit mechanisms are disposed below the package carrier block; a mechanism A for controlling tension of the binding means (string, strap, band or such, represented hereinafter by string), a string slack controlling mechanism B, a string holding and transporting mechanism C, a seal applying mechanism D, a seal fastening mechanism E and an automatic stopping mechanism F. A motor 28 is also provided and the motor operates continuously throughout the binding process.

All of the above-mentioned mechanisms are actuated by rotating a V-pulley 50 with the motor 28, in the manner shown in FIG. 8. A gear 24 is mounted on the shaft 26 of the pulley 50 and gear 24 meshes with a partial gear 14. A cam ring 45 is mounted on the main shaft 27 of the gear 14. The cam ring 45 has formed therein a swing arm actuating and stopping cam 18 (FIG. 8), a string delivering cam 13 (FIG. 8), a seal applying cam 46 (FIG. 8), a movable string gripper closing cam 33 (FIG. 8), a fixed string gripper opening cam 34 (FIG. 8), a string scooping-up cam 38 (FIG. 18) and a string cutting cam 42 (FIG. 18), while another cam ring 45 has a string push-in cam 43 (FIG. 148), these cams being positioned at respective proper locations, as shown.

In operation, when the operator steps on the starting pedal 53, a connecting rod 68 coupled thereto is pulled down to allow an operating lever 59 to move back so as to disengage from the arm actuating and stopping cam 18. This causes a clutch lever 49 to swing about a pivot L under the force of a spring 71 until the lever 49 is engaged with a clutch 51. Since the clutch 51 is slidably mounted on a shaft'26, the driving force is transmitted through a gear 24 to the gear 14 to cause its main shaft 27 to rotate. In the meantime, the driving force is also transmitted from the partial gear 14 through intermediate gears 15, 16 to a chain belt 17 for driving the chain belt 17 which, in turn, rotates a hollow shaft 19 and hence an arm 20 secured thereto.

The string tension controlling mechanism A, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, comprises a substantially H- shaped structure consisting of two supporting block members 7 and 10 provided in the rear portion of the machine body. This mechanism has a roller 11 actuated by a cam 12 provided on a side of the partial gear 14 so as to give reciprocating motion to the block member 7. Protuberances 10' are provided at both ends on the inner side of the supporting block member 10. Parallelextending adjusting screws 9 are provided at both ends of another supporting block member 7 and each is loaded with a spring 8 whereby suitable adjustment is made in accordance with hardness or size of the string 4. Also, a fixed roll 6 is mounted in front of the screws. The ends of the adjusting screws 9 are threadedly engaged with both ends of the bearing 7 of a movable roll 6' so as to adjust the space between the fixed and movable rolls 6 and 6' to allow for string 4 of different sizes.

The string slack controlling mechanism B, as will be best appreciated from FIGS. 1 and 2, includes the rotatable arm integrally provided with the hollow shaft 19. The arm 20 has an S-shape with its lower end portion terminating a tubular body and carrying a slide ring P designed to facilitate sliding of a string. Also, a roller 20' is mounted at the joint of the upper bent portion of the arm with the boss of the hollow shaft, and another roller 20" is provided at the lower bent portion of the arm. Further, a strut 21 with a roller 22 at its end is pivotally attached to the bottom of the hollow shaft boss. The end of a spring 23, whose other end is secured to the root of the boss 19, is fixed to the midportion of the strut 21 to thereby always keep it in a tensed state.

It will therefore be noted that the string 4, which has been guided upwardly into the hollow shaft 19 through the tension controlling mechanism A, passes around the rollers 20, 22, 20 and slide ring P to further move into a string gripper 41, described below. The tempotrolled by the tension of the spring 23 and the angle of the strut 21. Thus, the string slack controlling mechanism B in cooperation with the above-mentioned tension controlling mechanism A, always gives a proper speed and uniform tension to the string 4.

The string holding and transporting mechanism C, as particularly apparent from FIGS. 10, 11 and 12, is featured by a cam ring 45 connected to shaft 27. The cam ring 45 is formed with a string guiding cam 13 adapted to allow a crank 25 turn about its pivot G. The crank is arranged to urge a movable bar 37 secured to a metal fixture 36 toward a fixed string gripper 29. A movable string gripper 41 is secured to the bar 37, and a protuberance a is fixed to the gripper 41. At the start of the operation, the leading end of the string is gripped in the movable string gripper 41 in such a way that the string slightly extends out in the direction of its movement. As shown in FIG. 11, the opposite end of opening element 41 of the movable string grippcr41 is nonnally kept open by a spring 44', but since a claw 39 holding the leg portion of element 41' is pressed by a stronger spring 44, the string gripping operation is conducted manually by forcibly opening the gripper with hand.

After that, however, the operation is conducted automatically.

The movable bar 37 moves until it contacts the fixed string gripper 29 (shown in FIGS. 9, 10 and 12) at a protuberance b fixed to that gripper. At the same time that the leading end of the string enters the opening in the fixed string gripper 29, the protuberance a pushes the protuberance b. The protuberance b is normally elastically pressed by a spring 54 and carries at its other end a detent 56 with which a latch 60 is normally engaged. The above pushing of the protuberance b causes disengagement of the latch 60 from the detent 56. Since the latch 60 is joined by a pivot H with a claw 61, which is in contact with an end of a fixed string gripper opening element 29 pivoted at K, the element 29' is closed under the pressure of the spring so as to grip the projected end of the string.

Since the claw 39 is pivoted at L in the bottom of the movable string gripper 41 with a slight time lag (provided by positional difference between the protuberance a and the claw 39) and is constantly pushed by spring 44, the claw 39 is pressed against a side of the fixed string gripper 29 and hence, the leg portion of the opening element 41' held by the other end of the claw 39 is opened to release the string, thereby completing transfer of the string from the movable string gripper 41 to the fixed gripper 29. The respective components return to their original positions by the action of the cam 13.

Upon completion of this operation, the fixed string gripper opening cam 34 provided in the cam ring 45 is actuated to disengage the clutch 51 through the operating lever 59 and clutch lever 49 and at the same time, a roller 88 at the bottom end of the latch 60 is pushed by an end of an operating lever 87 pivoted at h to open the opening element 29'. On the other hand, the opening element 41' of the movable string gripper 41 is pushed up by a push-up bar 89, immediately after feeding of a seal to be described later, by the action of the closing cam 33 in the cam ring 45 so as to grip the string. It is to be noted, that the interior faces of the openings in both stringgrippers 29 and 41 are provided with parallel serrations to ensure secure gripping of the string.

With return of the movable string gripper 41 to its original position, the rotatable arm 20 is caused to rotate about the hollow shaft 19 by the driving force transmitted through the partial gear 14 mounted on the spindle 27, gear 15 meshed with the partial gear 14 and having a rotation stopper 15', and intermediate gear 16 and chain belt 17 mounted coaxially with the gear 15, in such a way that the arm makes from one to three rotations around the package I placed on its supporting plates 2, 3 so as to pass the string round the package. The arm is stopped at the predetermined position (see FIG. 1) by the action of the partial gear 14 and rotation stopper 15'. This is followed by operation of the string fastening device 35.

The seal feeding mechanism D, as best illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14, includes a seal applicator cam 46 provided on a cam ring 45 so that the seals for securing the strings are applied while the rotary arm is being rotated. Movement of the seal applicator cam 46 causes an operating lever 47 to move up and down about a pivot M at the end of the lever causing corresponding up and down movement of a seal cutter 52 through a connecting bar 48 connected to a pivot N at a middle part of the lever 47. The seal cutter 52 is pivoted at Q to a rail 32 so that when the end of the operating lever 47 rides on the ridge of the seal applicator cam 46, a lever 58 is caused to move about a pivot R under the pulling force of spring 55 so as to push a push element 59 toward the seal cutter 52 to force it into the fastening device 35. Only one seal is applied and stopped by a seal stopper 72 provided on the outside of the fastening device whereupon the operating lever 47 is positioned in the recess in the seal applicator cam 46, allowing the seal cutter 52 to descend to cut the seal.

Numeral 73 in the figures represents a roller for adjusting the space between the fastening device 35 and rail 32.

Then, immediately before the rotating arm stops its rotation, a crank 62 is caused to swing through its movable pivot l and its fixed pivot J by the action of the string push-in cam 43 provided on the cam ring 45 secured to the spindle 27. The other end portion of the crank 62 is always pulled by a spring 63 and its end is pivoted to an end of a connecting bar 64, the other end of which is pivoted by a pin 67 to a lever 57, which is swingable'about its fixed pivot T, and to an end of a string holder member 66. The other end of the string holder member 66 is curved downwardly as shown, and in the center of the string holding member 66, a stepped guide slot 70 is formed which allows three-step movements to the forward, middle and backward positions of the string holding member 66, relative to a fixed pivot U. At the forward position, the rear end of a forerunning string and the leading end of a succeeding string are caught and in the middle position both ends are brought into a joined position relative to the seal on the fastening device 35. With the rise of the fastening-device 35, the ends of the strings are forced into the seal.

The seal fastening mechanism E is best illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16. The rotating arm is stopped at a predetermined position and the fore and rear ends of the strings are caught by a curved portion of the string holder member 66 and brought into a seal seized by the fastening device 35. At the same time, a vertically movable shaft 75 makes a lateral displacement (as shown by 75') and is raised up by an arcuate face 0 of the string push-in cam 43 through the media of a slide member 76 and a mounting block 77. The member 76 is supported at that position by a supporting pin 78 which is projected outward by a spring. Concurrently, the arm lever 79 of the fastening device secured to a bar member 86 is coupled to an operating lever 81 through a connecting bar 80, and a roller 82 at the other end of the lever 81 is pushed up by a raised-up portion g of the string push-in cam 43 to fasten the seal in the fastening device 35. Upon completion of the fastening operation, the operating lever 81 is pulled back by a spring 83 to open the fastening device 35 to separate the seal which has been fastened to the strings, and at the same time, the shaft 75 is disengaged from the string push-in cam 43 and retracted by a spring 84. The shaft 75 is then lowered to its original position by the force of a spring 85.

As the above-mentioned operation by the fastening device 35 is completed, the fore end of the string holding'member 66 is retracted by the cam 43 and separated from the thus bound string.

Before the rotating arm stops at its predetermined position, a string cutter 74 (FIG. 17), pivoted at u to the machine body through an operating lever 100 and a connecting bar 97, is actuated by the cam 42 on the cam ring 45 so as to scoop up the rear end of the string with its end. The cutter stops in that state until the fastening device ascends and fastens the seal. The operating lever 100 is secured together with an arm 91 coaxially with an intermediate shaft pivoted to the machine body at g, and a roller 93 at the end of the operating lever 100 is pressed against a face of the cam 42 by a spring 92. At a position below and corresponding to the mounted position of the string cutter 74, a string lift-up member 40 is provided which is pivoted at j and connected to an operating lever 95 through a connecting bar 94. The operating lever 95 is pivoted at t and swung by the action of a spring 98 and a cam face 38 to allow the member 40 to turn and scoop up the string while carrying the string to a recessed portion 96.

The automatic stopping mechanism F operates as follows. When the fastening operation by the fastening device 35 is completed and the string 4 is securely held by the fixed string gripper 29 actuated by the cam ring 45 provided on the spindle 27 to thereby produce a situation ready for the next binding operation, a starting lever 59 is engaged with a stopping cam 18 provided on the cam ring 45, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. The lever 59 is pushed to actuate the clutch guiding element 49 to liberate it from meshed engagement with the clutch 51 coaxial with the V-pulley 50 to thereby stop rotation of the spindle 27. Movements of all other operative members including cam means and rotary arms are also stopped.

The present invention is constructed as substantially described above. In operation, first the desired number of turns of the string to be coiled around a package is determined by properly regulating the number of rotations of the gear 15. Then a package 1 to be bound in placed over a fixed table 2 and a guide table 3 having a space 0. The leading end of the string 4 is held in the fixed string gripper 29 and the operator steps on the pedal 53 at the front bottom of the machine body. Movement of the pedal 53 is transmitted through the connecting rod 68 and the clutch 51 to partial gear 14 to actuate the cam 12 and the roller 11 carried thereon so as to draw out the string 4 from a ball of string 4'. The thus drawn string passes between rolls 6 and 6' in the above-mentioned string tension controlling mechanism A, and then passes through the hollow shaft 19 provided at an upper part of the machine frame 5. The string passes round a slider ring P at the end of the rotary arm 20 integrally provided with the hollow shaft 19 in the aforedescribed slack controlling mechanism B, until the string reaches the fixed string gripper 29 I where the end of the string is gripped. For'starting the operation (see FIG. 2), the operator has only to step on the pedal 53 at the front bottom of the machine whereby the clutch lever 59 is moved to actuate the clutch 51 so as to become meshed with a V-pulley 50 rotated by the motor 28. This connection rotates the clutch'shaft 26 which in turn causes rotation of the spindle 27 through gear 24 and partial gear so as to actuate the cam ring 45 mounted on the spindle and other associated means as described above. The driving force is also transmitted through gears 15 and 16 to the chain belt 17 to rotate the hollow shaft 19 and the am 20 integral therewith. The arm 20 rotates around the table and the package such that the string correspondingly movespast the slide ring P and through the space 0 and is coiled several turns around the package 1 until the arm 20 is stopped at the position shown in FIG. 1. In performing the coiling of string around the package, the advancing speed and the slackening speed of the string is suitabley controlled by the tension controlling mechanism A using tensioning rollers and by the slack controlling mechanism B using springs. Also, any desired number of turns of string may be coiled around the package by properly arranging the gears meshing with the main gear. The above-described operation constitutes one cycle 'of the package binding opera tions. For binding the package crosswise, the package is turned 90 after completion of the above-mentioned operation and then the same operation is repeated. In this case, two similar operations constitute one cycle, but each cycle of such operations requires only about 10 seconds.

As described above, an extremely efficient and economical automatic binding machine is provided in which a wide variety of binding means such as round strings, flat straps, bands, ropes or the like made of flexible fiber or fibrous materials can be used. Also the radius of the binding circle around the package can be adjusted by suitably changing the length of the rotating arm.

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic package binding machine comprising a machine frame having a package supporting table with an open space at its center portion, a rotary arm constructed and arranged to rotate around the package supporting table while guiding a string or like binding means from a supply source in such a way that the string is led through the open space in the table and passed around a package positioned thereon, string tension controlling means between the rotary arm and the string supply source for controlling the advancing speed of the string, the string tension controlling means including a pair of rollers mounted upon parallel axes with the string passing between the rollers, string slack controlling means cooperating with the string tension controlling means for providing constant speed and uniform tension of the string during the binding operation, the slack controlling means comprising a spring biased strut over which the string is trained to thereby absorb any slack of the string, string holding and delivering means for the ends of the string for gripping the string before and after cutting of the string during a package binding operation, means for applying a seal to each crossed part of the string binding the package, seal fastening means for securely fastening the seal ap plied to each crossed part of the string, and automatic stopping means for stopping operation of each of the aforesaid means upon completion of the binding operation.

2. An automatic package binding machine as in claim 1 wherein the holding and delivering means includes a movable string gripper and a fixed string gripper, and wherein the means for applying a seal is vertically movably mounted between the grippers so as to secure the seal at each crossed portion of the string.

3. An automatic package binding machine as in claim 1 wherein the aforesaid series of means are successively controlled by cam means.

4. An automatic package binding machine as in claim 1 wherein the rollers of the tension controlling means,

are arranged for movement toward and away from one another, and a gear driven cam associated with the rollers for moving the rollers toward and away from one another.

5. An automatic package binding machine as in claim 1 wherein the spring biased strut of the slack controlling means has a roller at its free end over which the string is trained and a pivotal connection to the rotary arm at the other end of the strut. 

1. An automatic package binding machine comprising a machine frame having a package supporting table with an open space at its center portion, a rotary arm constructed and arranged to rotate around the package supporting table while guiding a string or like binding means from a supply source in such a way that the string is led through the open space in the table and passed around a package positioned thereon, string tension controlling means between the rotary arm and the string supply source for controlling the advancing speed of the string, the string tension controlling means including a pair of rollers mounted upon parallel axes with the string passing between the rollers, string slack controlling means cooperating with the string tension controlling means for providing constant speed and uniform tension of the string during the binding operation, the slack controlling means comprising a spring biased strut over which the string is trained to thereby absorb any slack of the string, string holding and delivering means for the ends of the string for gripping the string before and after cutting of the string during a package binding operation, means for applying a seal to each crossed part of the string binding the package, seal fastening means for securely fastening the seal applied to each crossed part of the string, and automatic stopping means for stopping operation of each of the aforesaid means upon completion of the binding operation.
 2. An automatic package binding machine as in claim 1 wherein the holding and delivering means includes a movable string gripper and a fixed string gripper, and wherein the means for applying a seal is vertically movably mounted between the grippers so as to secure the seal at each crossed portion of the string.
 3. An automatic package binding machine as in claim 1 wherein the aforesaid series of means are successively controlled by cam means.
 4. An automatic package binding machine as in claim 1 wherein the rollers of the tension controlling means are arranged for movement toward and away from one another, and a gear driven cam associated with the rollers for moving the rollers toward and away from one another.
 5. An automatic package binding machine as in claim 1 wherein the spring biased strut of the slack controlling means has a roller at its free end over which the string is trained and a pivotal connection to the rotary arm at the other end of the strut. 